"Great Pick": NFL Insider Believes Steelers Truly Made The Right Pick In First Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be the losers of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. After the Philadelphia Eagles leapfrogged them and stole the player they wanted, it seemed like they panicked when and a massive reach on offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. At this point, it feels almost disastrous how they refused to trade up to get the man they wanted and allowed the Eagles to swipe him away. Unless the new tackle becomes elite eventually, Pittsburgh may never live down what happened on that night. 

However, not everyone sees it as negatively as many fans do. In fact, NFL insider Gregg Rosenthal believes that the Steelers got the better player of the two in this sequence. The Eagles may have just helped them out. 

There is a lot to unpack with this opinion around the pick. For starters, Makai Lemon was seen as a top-15 prospect in the NFL while Iheanachor was projected to either be a late first-round pick or an early second-round pick. Draft stock does not mean everything, but it shows how many teams and insiders feel about a certain player, and it seemed like nobody would put the wideout below the tackle.

Iheanachor has also been called a project tackle, which means he may not even be a full-time starter in 2026. Lemon was seen as the better pick by many due to him being projected to be probably a great receiver immediately. The raw aspect of Pittsburgh's new tackle is what made him drop, but with how much faith it has in new offensive line coach James Campen, maybe the first-round pick could become elite. 

Obviously, it's hard to compare apples to oranges here with Lemon being a receiver and Iheanachor being a lineman. However, due to the sequence of events that took place, fans will be comparing them for a very long time. Their careers will be intertwined with each other, and it's truly the fault of neither of them. This pick does put a lot of implication on the Steelers and what they believe is going on.

Steelers May Have A Major Problem Heading Into 2026

Recently, General Manager Omar Khan said the recent reports about Broderick Jones' neck injuries were untrue. However, making this pick may imply that he was just putting up a smokescreen. Neck injuries are very scary and not to be taken lightly. If there truly was a setback in his recovery, then it's fair to see why the Steelers believed that offensive tackle was a big need once again. 

Despite how well Dylan Cook played in place of Jones, it's hard for a team to just put all of their eggs into the basket of a former undrafted free agent with minimal in-game experience. With the fact that Iheanachor is a project, Cook would likely compete with him for the starting job, and he could easily win it as the rookie learns how to be more technical while protecting the quarterback's blind side. 

If Khan was right and Jones' neck injury is not seen as a problem anymore, this still spells the end of his time at left tackle. Maybe he will transition to guard like many have speculated in the past. With his size and the help he would get from the new left tackle, he could end up being an amazing interior offensive lineman. If not, it's safe to say that he will not be re-signed once his rookie contract expires at season's end.

What do you think about the idea that Iheanachor was the better pick over Lemon, as well as how Jones and Cook now fit into the equation? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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